Between her sharp intellect and proactive attitude, Natalie Portman‘s foray into directing always seemed more like a question of “when,” rather than “if.” And indeed, back in 2007, she began prepping her first feature, based on the memoir A Tale of Love and Darkness by Israeli writer Amos Oz.

The project got pushed to the back burner while Portman honed her skills on short films like “Eve” and her New York I Love You segment, but now it seems she’s ready to get the ball rolling again. According to Oz, Portman is looking to visit Israel this fall to get ready, so that shooting can get underway early next year. Hit the jump for all the details.